Exactly HOW sinful is fornication.?

Question

Serious question.

I know the catholic church forbids it. But do fornicators go to hell?

And is it forbidden in other Christian denominations?

It is explicitly forbidden in both old and new testaments:
1 Corinthians 6:9, 18
Ephesians 5:3-5
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Deuteronomy 22:13

The vast majority of Americans are christian.
The vast majority of Americans have premarital sex.

How is this reconciled?

Note:
Fornication just means sex outside marriage.

The question is clearly specifically directed at christians, but obviously all opinions are welcome...

Answer 1

1. A sin is a sin is a sin. It still separates us from God no matter how "bad" it is.

2. Fornicators who "...confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) If they do not do so, then yes, any sin will keep you separated from God for eternity.

3. Yes, it is frowned upon in Protestant denominations as well.

4. "The vast majority of Americans are christian. The vast majority of Americans have premarital sex." 1. Most Americans aren't followers of Jesus Christ. 2. The vast majority of Christian Americans have anger issues, have violent tendencies, use foul language, and take the Lord's name in vain. This is what it means to have a sinful nature. And sin is very hard to resist sometimes. But "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

Answer 2

A vast majority of Americans have no clue as to what the real meaning to being a Christian is.

That is the problem.

They think that just believing in A god or in Jesus qualifies them to carry the name Christian.

The Bible teaches that fornication is wrong. Those who try and say that they are not sinning by doing this practice are basically saying that they do not believe in what the Bible says.

This says a LOT about where their faith is.

Once we begin leaning on our own understandings, the Bible becomes less and less significant and our faith in the Triune God ends up following suit.

God made laws for the health and benefit of His people. Sure some have great living arrangements outside of marriage, but those people are the exception and not the norm.

The norm is that most of these relationships are there for the lust factor and not geared towards a committed familial relationship where God is at the center.

And that is the whole point of the matter isn't it? That God be at the center of the whole relationship?

Answer 3

First, "the vast majority of Americans are" NOT christians. Many call thelselves "christians" because they were born in America or because their parents were christians or because they know about Jesus and give mental ascent to His existance. NONE of these things makes anyone a Christian.

The good thing is that ANYONE can become a Christian, no matter how many non marrital partners they have slept with. God will still forgive you, if you ask Him and repent.

The other point that should be made is that sin is sin. There is no ranking with sin. Murder, lying, stealing, blasphemy and fornication are all sin and will send you to hell.

The good news is that Jesus took the punishment for our sin and so we don't have to. Tell Jesus that you are a sinner, that you are sorry for your sin and that with His help you will try not to sin anymore. He will wash away your sin and you will be a Christian. You need to mean what you say..

Answer 4

Fornication is considered grave matter as are all sexual sins (including fantasizing) that means, if you do it while knowing this anyway and in full freedom (ie not forced) it's considered a mortal (serious) sin. If you do not repent by an act of perfect contrition or by a good confession before you die, that person would most possibly not be saved, since you cannot enter heaven if you have unrepented mortal sin on your conscience.

Your last question, I don't know but it sure looks no good.
Well sometimes one wonders how well protestants follow the bible and christian teaching even though they claim to (other example are divorce and contraception the immorality of homosexual acts and so on.)

Answer 5

Legal Encyclopedia Fornication

Under the common law, the crime of fornication consisted of unlawful sexual intercourse between an unmarried woman and a man, regardless of his marital status. If the woman was married, the crime was adultery.

Today, statutes in a number of states declare that fornication is an offense, but such statutes are rarely enforced. On the theory that fornication is a victimless crime, many states do not prosecute persons accused of the offense.

Under modern-day legislation, if one of the two persons who engage in sexual intercourse is married to another person, he (or she) is guilty of adultery. Statutes in some states declare that if the woman is married, the sexual act constitutes adultery on the part of both persons, regardless of the man's marital status.

Answer 6

I think a lot of people lie about being Christian. Or they just regurgitate it without giving it a lot of thought because they were baptized a certain way. I could say I'm Lutheran as I was baptized Lutheran but I'd only be kidding myself. I would bet if people really sat down and thought about it, many people that call themselves Christain would find that they're actually spiritual in a nondemonational way, agnostic or even athiest.

Answer 7

Any sin can keep a person out of heaven, if they do not repent of it.

I know that Pentecostal and Apostolic churches say it is a sin.

I think that we all have sins that we try and justify, we say that that does not count, that was a sin but not today, etc.

We will be judged by His word, not by what we say is right or wrong.

Answer 8

All sin is equal (in some respects) in God's eyes. Lying, stealing, cheating, adultery, homosexual acts, murder, etc....any one of these make us unworthy of being with God.
I guess to answer your question, yes, it is bad enough to keep us out of heaven. But then, so is lying. How is that reconciled?
Only by God's grace. But this is no excuse to do something you know is wrong. Stay away from sin.

Answer 9

Fornication is a sin, but it is no worse than any other sin. All sins are disobedience to God. God says "don't do this" and we do it anyway; we are disobedient. God says "do this" and we don't do it; we are disobedient. So you see, sin is disobedience to God and all sins fall into the same category. That is why God said if your break the smallest of the commandments, you are guilty of breaking them all, cause they're all the same.

Answer 10

We Catholics consider it a Mortal sin which is one of the worst. Consider your soul a glass candle jar. Sin is like smudges or stains that dirty it. Mortal sin covers it completely and one must seek forgiveness for the sin. Sort of a spiritual washing. It is not God that cuts the soul off from His Grace but man and his sin.